- A
AWS Shield Advanced
Why wrong: AWS Shield Advanced provides enhanced DDoS protection and 24/7 access to the DDoS Response Team (DRT). However, it does not natively inspect application-layer requests for SQL injection or XSS; that capability is provided by AWS WAF. Shield Advanced can be used alongside WAF but does not replace it for blocking common web exploits.
- B
AWS WAF
AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall that enables you to create customizable rules to block common attack patterns like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. It integrates directly with Application Load Balancers, Amazon CloudFront, and API Gateway, and requires no server or software management.
- C
Amazon Inspector
Why wrong: Amazon Inspector is a vulnerability management service that automatically assesses EC2 instances and network configurations for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure. It does not provide real-time protection against web application-layer attacks such as SQL injection.
- D
Amazon GuardDuty
Why wrong: Amazon GuardDuty is a continuous threat detection service that uses machine learning and integrated threat intelligence to identify suspicious activity in your AWS environment (e.g., compromised instances, unauthorized access). It does not actively block malicious web requests; it rather generates alerts for potential security issues.
Quick Answer
The answer is AWS WAF, the correct choice because it is a fully managed web application firewall designed specifically to protect web applications from common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) without requiring you to manage any underlying servers or infrastructure. AWS WAF integrates directly with an Application Load Balancer (ALB), allowing you to create custom rules that inspect incoming HTTP requests and block malicious payloads before they reach your application. On the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of which managed security service handles application-layer threats versus network-layer threats—a common trap is confusing AWS WAF with AWS Shield (which protects against DDoS attacks) or Network ACLs (which operate at the subnet level). Remember that WAF stands for Web Application Firewall, and think of the “W” for “web” exploits like SQL injection and XSS; if the threat targets your application code, the answer is always AWS WAF.
CLF-C02 Practice Question: AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall.
This CLF-C02 practice question tests your understanding of security and compliance. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. A key principle to apply: aWS WAF is a managed web application firewall.. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company hosts a web application behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The security team wants to protect the application from common web exploits such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS), using a managed service that requires no underlying infrastructure management. Which AWS service should they use?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS WAF
AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall that protects web applications from common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with Application Load Balancers and requires no underlying infrastructure management, making it the correct choice for this use case.
Key principle: AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
AWS Shield Advanced
Why it's wrong here
AWS Shield Advanced provides enhanced DDoS protection and 24/7 access to the DDoS Response Team (DRT). However, it does not natively inspect application-layer requests for SQL injection or XSS; that capability is provided by AWS WAF. Shield Advanced can be used alongside WAF but does not replace it for blocking common web exploits.
- ✓
AWS WAF
Why this is correct
AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall that enables you to create customizable rules to block common attack patterns like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. It integrates directly with Application Load Balancers, Amazon CloudFront, and API Gateway, and requires no server or software management.
Related concept
AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall.
- ✗
Amazon Inspector
Why it's wrong here
Amazon Inspector is a vulnerability management service that automatically assesses EC2 instances and network configurations for software vulnerabilities and unintended network exposure. It does not provide real-time protection against web application-layer attacks such as SQL injection.
- ✗
Amazon GuardDuty
Why it's wrong here
Amazon GuardDuty is a continuous threat detection service that uses machine learning and integrated threat intelligence to identify suspicious activity in your AWS environment (e.g., compromised instances, unauthorized access). It does not actively block malicious web requests; it rather generates alerts for potential security issues.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse AWS WAF (application-layer filtering) with AWS Shield (network-layer DDoS protection) or Amazon Inspector (vulnerability scanning), overlooking that only WAF provides managed, rule-based protection against web exploits like SQL injection and XSS.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
AWS WAF uses configurable rules (e.g., SQL injection match conditions, XSS match conditions) that inspect HTTP(S) requests at the application layer (Layer 7). When deployed on an ALB, it evaluates incoming traffic against these rules before the request reaches the backend, allowing or blocking based on patterns in headers, query strings, or body content. A real-world scenario is a retail site where WAF blocks a malicious request containing 'OR 1=1' in a login field, preventing database compromise.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall.
- WAF protects against common web exploits like SQL injection and XSS.
- It integrates with Application Load Balancers, CloudFront, and API Gateway.
- WAF requires no underlying infrastructure management from the user.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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Review aWS WAF is a managed web application firewall., then practise related CLF-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CLF-C02 question test?
Security and Compliance — This question tests Security and Compliance — AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: AWS WAF — AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall that protects web applications from common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It integrates directly with Application Load Balancers and requires no underlying infrastructure management, making it the correct choice for this use case.
What should I do if I get this CLF-C02 question wrong?
Review aWS WAF is a managed web application firewall., then practise related CLF-C02 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on CLF-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company hosts a public-facing web application behind an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The development team has recently identified that the application is vulnerable to common web attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). The security team wants to deploy a managed solution that can inspect incoming HTTP requests and block malicious traffic before it reaches the application. The solution must integrate directly with the existing ALB and provide pre-configured rule sets that can be customized. Which AWS service should the company use?
medium- A.AWS Shield Advanced
- B.Amazon GuardDuty
- ✓ C.AWS WAF
- D.AWS Firewall Manager
Why C: AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall that integrates directly with Application Load Balancers to inspect HTTP/HTTPS requests. It provides pre-configured rule sets, such as those for SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS), which can be customized to block malicious traffic before it reaches the application. This makes it the correct choice for the described use case.
Variation 2. Which AWS service provides a Web Application Firewall that protects web applications from common exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting?
easy- A.AWS Shield
- ✓ B.AWS WAF
- C.Amazon GuardDuty
- D.Security Groups
Why B: AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It allows you to create custom rules that block, allow, or monitor web requests based on conditions such as IP addresses, HTTP headers, URI strings, and request body content. This makes it the correct service for the described use case.
Variation 3. A company's public-facing web application is being attacked with SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) attempts. Which AWS service should they deploy to detect and block these web application attacks?
easy- A.AWS Shield Standard
- B.Amazon GuardDuty
- ✓ C.AWS WAF
- D.Amazon Inspector
Why C: AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). It allows you to create custom rules to filter and monitor HTTP(S) requests based on conditions such as IP addresses, HTTP headers, or request body patterns, and can block malicious traffic before it reaches your application.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CLF-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CLF-C02 exam.
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